Elijah's Adventures

Day 1

2010-01-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

Last night I had my "last meal" - a yummy carne asada burrito with grilled onions and mushrooms. Actually, in the past few days I've eaten all the yummy non-diet food in my pantry. I couldn't just throw it all away. I probably gained 5 pounds trying to enjoy all my favorite foods before I can't have them anymore. Why do we do that? I can't be the only one with the foreboding sense that the world is ending when starting a new diet.

I met with Kristy and Jeff Sketeris on January 1st in preparation for our new diet plan. We are basically eating a low carb diet, with emphasis on eating a protein and vegetable with each meal and snack. We have had success with low-carb diets (both Atkins and South Beach) in the past. The thing I am most worried about is our ability to stay on it long-term. In the past, we stayed on the diets for a few weeks or months, but felt so deprived we would eventually go off the diet and go back to our normal habits. This diet is different, in that we can have a serving of carbs after we exercise and in our three "cheat" meals each week. I hope this will make the difference to make this a life-style change.

So today is day 1 on our diet. So far so good. We are eating our veggies, protein and fruit in 2-3 hour increments. I feel optimistic about losing weight and becoming healthier. I will be posting our progress on our blog. Here goes nothing.

New Year's Reflections

2009-12-31T14:57:00.001-08:00

I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. They are just too temporary. Here are a few sad truths about most people’s ability to be successful with their New Years’ Resolutions:

80% of American’s quit their New Years’ Resolution by the end of week 1
98% of American’s quit their New Years’ Resolution by the end of week 4

Despite all of that, I do believe in making changes in our actions and constantly reevaluating our goals. I often resist doing that at this time of the year out of some crazy desire not to be lumped in with all “those people”. You know the type - “I’m going to lose 15 lbs” and you see them at the gym on January 2nd. But by February, the gym is empty and those people are sitting in front of the tv, eating takeout.

But I can’t resist the urge to reevaluate my goals at this point. We’ve had a new baby, bought a house, gotten through the holidays, and hopefully soon we’ll buy our new car. So I’m at a point where things are calming down in my life and even more importantly, I have NO EXCUSES to put it off anymore. What is it I’m putting off? Losing weight and making healthy lifestyle changes. So I’m about to take a huge leap in my life and meet with a trainer/dietitian/weight loss coach TOMORROW. I’m jumping off with no reserve–both feet. Even if I land on my butt, like my two-year-old Elijah here. I’ll let you know how it goes…

I also realized I’ve been hiding out in my new house for the last few months. I’ve been stressed about money, overwhelmed with things to do, anxious about the future and embarrassed by the messiness of my appearance and my home.

I love that this box reminds me that “Life’s Good” and Elijah reminds me to break out of my box. He shows me how to be happy and have fun. So that is my next resolution. I need to simplify my life and enjoy what truly matters - my life, my family and my friends. This means working a little less and valuing my time, so that I have more to give. I need to make time for simple routines of fixing healthy meals, exercising, spending time with my boys and keeping my house in order. I also know that when I put my priorities in order and rely on the Lord through prayer and scripture study that everything else will fall into place. Here’s to a New Year, with a new attitude. What are your New Year’s resolutions?

Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T22:50:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Our boys have had a fun, present-filled day. They are on toy and sugar overload. But it was so cool to see them opening their presents.

Eli "helped" Levi open his presents.

And play with them. :)

The favorite present was definitely this huge train set that santa brought for both boys. Elijah didn't want to stop playing for ANYTHING, even opening presents.

We thought Elijah was old enough to give presents to us and learn that it's about giving as well as receiving. So Grammy took him to the store and let him pick out a couple of presents for us. He gave me some fuzzy slippers. But the best was what Eli gave Daddy--this HUMONGOUS remote control! Guess that's what Eli thinks daddy would like. ;P

To see our little Levi as baby Jesus, check out my photography blog: www.amberkatrina.com/blog Sooooo cute - you don't want to miss it!

Carving Pumpkins

2009-10-31T23:59:00.001-07:00

We had such a fun Halloween today. I just had to share a few pictures. We've been so busy, we hadn't had a chance to carve pumpkins and we were almost going to blow it off. But just before trick-or-treating, we decided to let Eli help daddy carve a pumpkin. And I'm glad we did because he loved it! He helped daddy take out the seeds and even carve it (with one of those safe pumpkins knives). Of course I followed him around like a camera Nazi. I think it was worth it for these cute shots.

After carving pumpkins, we dressed both boys as giraffes and took them trick-or-treating around our neighborhood. There weren't many houses participating, but Eli didn't care. He had so much fun walking around calling "trigg-a TREAT!" He would say it over and over again until the we got to the doors, where he would become shy and barely whisper. But as we walked away, he would say "more house" and want to do it all over again.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

Have a fun and safe Halloween. Here's Levi saying "BOO!"

Which ended like this. Poor guy.

Newborn Levi

2009-10-04T10:46:00.001-07:00

I know I have been neglecting my family blog with all the craziness of our lives right now. Little Levi is almost 2 months old!! I can't believe time has gone by so quickly. So I realized I better post Levi's newborn photos. He is 10 days old in these photos, and I think he's such a cutie!

Levi's First Bath

2009-08-30T21:31:00.000-07:00

Amidst all our craziness of having a baby, going back into the hospital for a blood clot, buying our first home, and preparing to move - I have tried to be good about taking pictures of Levi's first few weeks of life. I figured that I better take pictures to avoid being accused of not caring as much about our second born. Whenever I get around to it, I also have some sweet sleeping newborn shots. But in the meantime, here is Levi getting his first official bath at home.

Happy Birthday Levi!

2009-08-10T16:43:00.001-07:00

Levi Glade Baker

August 7, 2009
8:09 am
9 lb 12 oz
20 1/2 in

We went to the hospital on Friday morning for a scheduled cesarean section. My doctor thought this was the safest way to deliver because I had a previous shoulder dystocia with Elijah and this baby was measuring even bigger.

It was quite a different birth experience this time around. We scheduled the cesarean for Friday and were able to prepare everything ahead of time, like getting a sitter for Elijah. We even would have been able to walk into the hospital leisurely, except that we slept in and had to rush to the hospital so we didn't miss our scheduled time. After signing paperwork and getting hooked up to an IV, I walked into the operating room so they could prep me for surgery. They gave me spinal anesthesia, which started working immediately. After a few minutes they allowed Brian in and started the surgery. Brian brought the camera, and he documented the birth beautifully with these photographs. I am so grateful he has become such a good photographer.

I couldn't see anything with this large sheet in front of me. It's probably a good thing to not see what's going on. It was weird enough to feel all the pulling and tugging in my abdomen.

Our doctor allowed Brian to take a few photos of the baby being delivered. I love having these since I couldn't really see or experience what was going on at the time. One funny thing is that as soon as they started taking the baby out, he peed on everyone!

Cutting the umbilical cord.

When they weighed him, the baby was 9 pounds and 12 ounces! A pound and a half bigger than Elijah was at birth (8lb 3oz)!! Our doctor said it was a good thing we had the cesarean. With the baby so big, it could have led to some major complications with a vaginal birth.

Brian brought the baby over to me to meet. We were lucky our anesthesiologist was a hobby photographer, so he was able to take our first photos together as a family. That's the drawback of our camera - most people are not able to operate it to take a quick shot of us.

In the recovery room, I was finally able to hold the baby and start to breastfeed him.

We discussed names and finally settled on Levi Glade Baker. We both love the name Levi and Glade is my grandfather's name. My only concern was how similar Levi and Eli sound. After talking about it, we decided to just use Eli's full name: Elijah the majority of the time.

A few details.

Elijah is so excited to have his little brother here. He exclaims "brudder!" each time he sees him and asks to hold the baby. So far, he has been surprisingly gentle, though I'm sure that will change as he gets more comfortable with Levi. I'm just glad he likes his little brother. Elijah is even willing to share his cars with the baby, which is saying quite a lot.

On his second day, we took some portraits of Levi. Isn't he adorable?! Look at those bright eyes - he is so alert and observant.

And finally, since everyone keeps asking if he looks like Elijah, I'll let you decide for yourself. Here is Levi at two days old in daddy's hands:

And here is Elijah at 4 days old in daddy's hands.

What do you think? Do they look alike? I can see some resemblances.

Thank you everyone for your prayers and kind thoughts on our behalf. We are so blessed to have two amazing, beautiful sons. We are so grateful Levi is here safely and in good health. More photos to come soon, so stay tuned...

Eli's 2nd Birthday Party

2009-08-03T15:38:00.000-07:00

Since our new baby will come right before Eli's second birthday, I planned his party a couple of weeks early. I figured I better post it early too, or it might never happen with the new baby coming and moving into a new house.

For Eli's party, we had another water party (really, what else is there to do in August?). We had sprinkler toys and pools and three pedal cars (and they managed to still fight over them!). Here are some pictures of Eli at his party.

Do you notice a car theme with Eli? Those were his favorite - especially when he could ride in the back. We took a few minutes out for Eli to eat lunch.

And jump on the trampoline. I love that his feet are all shriveled from the water.

And here are some of Eli's friends that came to the party.

Cake time!

We've taught Eli to say "two" and hold up his fingers when you ask how old he is. It's so cute!

Later that afternoon, after Eli's nap, he got to open presents. He was so excited. We had to try to pace him to get some pictures.

Because Eli LOVES cars, I was a little worried Eli would get a TON of cars. But he only got one set of matchbox cars. It was perfect.

He promptly wanted to open them and line them up and "park" them over and over again. He's been doing this with his cars for a while, so I was glad to get some pictures of his organizational skills. He can really concentrate on something for quite a while when he is interested.

Family Photography

2009-07-23T18:14:00.000-07:00

We were so lucky to swap photo sessions with our new friend, Sarah, from Bright Waters Photography. It turns out that we are both pregnant, due within a few weeks of each other, and we both have a toddler boy. So we decided to swap maternity/family sessions near the end of our pregnancy. Click HERE, to see the maternity session I did with Sarah and her family. For our session, we decided to walk around the Pasadena farmers market. It was a lot of fun. Thanks for taking our photos, Sarah!

I am so blessed...

2009-06-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

...to have such an awesome toddler that slept in this morning. He is such a sweet boy!

And to have a nice mom that helps fold my laundry, a sweet husband that organizes my freezer, and great friends that watch Eli so we can have a date night. And as an unexpected and totally awesome surprise, while Kim watched Eli last night, she also did my dishes. That may not sound like much until you realize how many dishes accumulate when you are trying to stock pile freezer meals for after the baby comes (I've got about 20 meals right now - sweet!). And how horrifying and smelly this HUGE pile of dishes were after sitting a week in hot weather. Kim, you are a saint! (See? They take up so much room, she had to dry some in our oven.)

Thanks to everyone who was concerned about how we were doing after my last post. I don't complain much, but when I get overwhelmed it all comes out. And since Brian has had horrendously busy days at work with his year end closing, I didn't want to bother him with a stressed out wife (like he didn't notice). So thanks to such nice friends and family. We are doing well and so so excited for this baby to come. Oh and since everyone keeps asking about a name. We are still not sure, but we've narrowed it down to Noah Alan and Levi Glade (I think). ;)

Piled High

2009-06-10T15:56:00.000-07:00

My huge mountain of laundry looks about how I feel right now. A whole bunch of stuff that's mounting up with no time to deal with any of it. They are all clean. I just don't have time to fold and put them away. So they are getting wrinkled. I feel like my whole life is wrinkled right now.

I have lots of photo shoots coming up and several to edit, which is great. But I am starting to really feel the fatigue during this 7th month of pregnancy. Not to mention the feeling that my pelvis is grinding every time I move (a lovely new pregnancy symptom), which makes photo shoots a lot more difficult.

Which leads me to the freaked out feeling of being only 8 weeks away from having a baby. I don't know how I am going to manage anything with a toddler and a newborn, especially photo shoots. But I haven't even had a chance to think about that because I have been so focused on the delivery. With Eli I had every intervention short of a C-section, which eventually culminated in his shoulders getting stuck during delivery (called shoulder dystocia). Well apparently that's a huge deal, with some possible major complications including the baby having brain damage or dying if it happens again. So I have been reading and learning everything I can about natural childbirth, including taking some expensive, time-consuming Bradley childbirth classes in hopes of avoiding the interventions and hopefully another shoulder dystocia. I have been feeling good about it until my last doctor's visit, in which they said this baby is measuring big. I was just devastated. If this baby is measuring too big then I will have to have a C-section, since the risk goes up. I really wanted to try for a natural birth and now it seems thats not going to happen.

Amidst all this, Brian and I have been thinking about buying a home. We started looking at homes a few months ago, but all we can afford (using the word afford very liberally) are short sales and bank owned properties, which are such a long shot to get. Especially with the market right now. Just last week we saw a home the first day it was on the market, and it already had almost 10 offers on it! And it was a major fixer-upper! We just can't seem to compete, especially with our FHA loan, which is not as desireable as a regular loan or all cash offer like many investors are doing. We actually got an offer back on one of the properties, but it is a short sale so even though the owners accepted our offer - we still need to go through the long process of getting the lenders' approvals, which might not even happen. So we are still looking. And it's stressing me out at the thought of getting one of the houses because it is so much money and we would be VERY house poor for a while. What if something major happened or it is a money pit? And even if we get something - how are we going to get it ready and move in with this new baby coming?

And these are just the big things on my mind. I'm not ready for the baby to come - the nursery, the clothes or even a name! I am not keeping up on the house work - the dishes, the laundry, or even cooking dinner! Everytime something new comes up, all I can think is it's one more thing to deal with (making a gift for a shower, cooking a meal for a friend, or even our regular playdates). And then I feel guilty for not spending enough time and energy with Eli because I'm too busy and stressed with everything else. So today I let him play in the mountain of laundry, while I took pictures and tickled him. He loved it!

So here's to Eli, who reminds me to take a deep breath and enjoy this time because it's only going to get more busy once the baby comes. :p

Updates

2009-06-05T13:47:00.001-07:00

There are several updates and new photo sessions on my photography blog (check it out HERE). This is one of my favorite photos from my recent shoots.

Pasadena Engagement Photography

2009-05-06T16:53:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a recent engagement session I just posted on my photography blog. You can see the rest HERE.

Belly

2009-04-24T18:42:00.000-07:00

Today I'm showing off my belly toddler style. Eli thought it would be fun to decorate my belly with stickers.

Eli came over while I was trying to get a picture in the mirror and wanted to take the stickers off. I bent down so he could reach and got a few shots before I realized how disgustingly dirty the bottom of the mirror is from his sticky, grimy fingers!! Guess I should have cleaned it.

I am almost 6 months along right now and my pregnancy has been going very well. So far I have avoided most of the swelling and numbness I had the first time around. I have been having a little bit of pelvic pain from the ligaments stretching, but nothing too bad. Eli is very sweet to the belly - always wanting to give it hugs and kisses. We have been trying to prepare him for the arrival of his little brother and get him excited about it, but he doesn't really know what's going on.

And because I love this session so much, I had to post a couple of my favorites shots. Check out the rest of Shawn and Alisha's maternity shoot HERE or go to my photography blog.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! We had a lovely holiday visiting friends and family. And Eli really got into looking for Easter eggs this year. I'm sure he'll enjoy searching for eggs again and again over the next couple of weeks. Here are a few pictures from Eli's egg hunt.

We filled his eggs with crackers and little matchbox cars, with was perfect. Eli got really excited to open them.

We're still working on names for the next baby. The main contenders right now are Levi, Noah, Jonah, Emmett and Malakai (Kai). If you haven't left a comment and voted in the poll, please help out -->

A rose by any other name

2009-04-03T15:15:00.000-07:00

Names... ugh! Like I said in the last post, the only problem with having a boy is coming up with a name. I don't know why, but Elijah (Eli) just seemed to fit last time. Pretty much my whole pregnancy, we knew his name would be Elijah. I keep waiting for an epiphany this pregnancy and it's just not happening. So...

We would like to hear your input on our very long and ever changing "short" list of boy names - even suggestions would be appreciated. I'm just getting so tired of looking at list after list of names and getting no inspiration. Sure, there's a lot of names we like, but can I see my next son with the name - I don't know. Feel free to vote in the poll on the right --> but please, please leave your comments below so we know why you do or don't like certain names - their connotations, etc. Here's the list (for now):

Levi
Noah
Kai
Jonah
Emmett
Isaiah
Enoch
Malakai (Kai)
Xion
Jasper

And just to keep this post interesting, here is a sneak preview of Lincoln for our good friends, the Cunninghams. Lincoln, now that's a good name...

BIG Announcement

2009-03-20T14:19:00.000-07:00

I have been dying to know the gender of our next baby for weeks and weeks. So this morning we finally went in for our 20 week ultrasound and found out we are having...

... a BOY! The tech said he was 99% sure it was a boy. So Eli will have a little brother soon to torture. I am actually really happy to have another boy. For the last week or so, I have been imagining two brothers playing and having fun. I think it will be so nice for them to grow up together.

The only downside is now I have no idea what we will name him (I already had a girl name ready, but no boy name). And I will have to pack away the two little pink blankets I made for a future daughter. We want more kids, so I have plenty of chances for the little girl I want eventually.

Toddler Decorating

2009-03-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

I love our sweet Eli - he just cracks me up sometimes. Life with a toddler is definitely busy, but it's also fun. For several weeks, I have noticed Eli placing some of his prized possessions carefully around our house, like he wants to leave little bits of himself everywhere. In particular, I keep noticing him hanging his little train cars off the hook in our armoire. He doesn't seem fazed that I take them off when we clean up, they are always put back up the next day. :)

In addition to the hook, he also likes to "park" some of his cars on the little shelf in the armoire.

As I was taking pictures of these little decorations, I decided to look around and see what other strange places he leaves his toys. This one is under the armoire.

And a little Fisher Price person in our door jam.

And finally, a mini board book in the mail slot. Maybe he thinks he's leaving me special treats or surprises all over the house. :)

I can't get over how cute Eli is getting. I love seeing his personality emerge. For the most part, Eli is pretty easy going and happy (except when he is teething with all four molars, like right now!!). Eli has so much energy - he loves to run and play especially at the park. He is a huge dare devil and doesn’t want my help as he goes down the slides and climbs the ladders. He loves to get dirty and play in the sand, sometimes putting it down his clothes and diaper!

Since Eli is only 18 months old right now, he doesn’t really understand that he will be a big brother soon. However he is very interested in babies, and likes to sign “baby” and wave whenever he’s sees one. Eli is starting to speak and sign a lot. He loves to say his “C” words: “car”, “crash”, “cracker”, and “cat” among other things. But most of all it is so fun to see him really taking off with sign language. He signs about 40 words, mostly things that interest him: “bird”, “airplane”, “dog”, “boat”, “ball”, “water” and “siren” or to communicate his needs: “help”, “please”, “thank you”, “sorry”, “more”, “hot”, and “cold”. We also have fun asking where his different body parts are for Eli to point to: “eyes”, “ears”, “nose”, “mouth”, and “belly button”.

Eli is also starting to show affection. He will spontaneously get up from playing to give me a hug and kiss or to cuddle next to me for a few seconds. He also likes to imitate what we are doing, like pulling the covers on our laps, reading a book, or typing on the computer (no matter how much I discourage that). I love that he wants to be so helpful now, following simple directions to bring me his shoes or close the door. Eli is such a joy, I can't wait to have another one and add to our family. I hope Eli will love his new sibling. BTW: We will (hopefully) be finding out the gender in two weeks, so if you haven't voted in the poll to the right, go ahead. I'm excited to find out. :)

On an unrelated note, if you haven't had a chance to check out my photography website for a while, there are a lot of new photos and updated info. In addition, there are several new posts on my photography blog.

Lake Havasu

2009-03-04T13:21:00.000-08:00

In January, we were able to take a short vacation to Lake Havasu. It has been a long time since we have been able to visit Lake Havasu, so when we didn't have any big plans for the holiday in January, we decided to head to Havasu for a quiet weekend. It was such a nice, relaxing weekend - we didn't even put the boat in the water. We went to the local swap meet, shopped a little and visited the island several times to let Eli play at the playground and wade in the water.

One time, we also brought some goldfish crackers and showed Eli how to feed the birds. Eli was excited when the birds came so close to him, but then he wasn't sure he wanted to share his crackers. We would throw one to the birds and then eat one: "one for you, one for me." It was pretty funny.

There always seems to be gorgeous sunsets in Havasu, so one of the nights we took a few pictures. Here's a shot from the front yard.

Update

2009-02-10T15:57:00.000-08:00

Everyone keeps asking how my pregnancy is going, so I thought I'd post it here. I just finished my first trimester, and I can't believe how fast it's going this time around. I am already starting to show a little bit, so I will need to take some photos of my belly and post them soon. I am relieved to finally be feeling better. I don't get morning sickness too badly - just some nausea. But the worst part for me is the extreme fatigue. I just want to sleep all the time and couldn't make myself do practically anything (especially cleaning!). I'm just glad to be feeling better and able to get out of the house, which is good because Eli gets too restless at home and starts destroying our house. At first, I wanted the gender to be a surprise, but now I am not sure I can wait that long. I am already dying to know, so cast your vote in the poll on the right and I'll probably be announcing what we are having in a month or so.

And since I always like to have a photo with my posts, here is a preview of the cousin Deborah's family shoot on my photography blog. You can view the rest HERE.

BIG NEWS

2009-01-21T13:18:00.000-08:00

Elijah is excited to announce our BIG news...

That's right, we are expecting again! We are due August 11th, four days away from Eli's second birthday (August 15th). You would have thought we planned it that way, but no, it's just what the Lord had in mind for us. So being almost at the end of my first trimester, I thought we should make our official announcement. My pregnancy has been going well so far, except for some tiredness and mild morning sickness, which has already started to pass. We couldn't ask for a better experience and are grateful for our blessings.

BTW: I bought this shirt as soon as I found out and that's how I told Brian and my mom that we were expecting. They were super excited.

Day at the Park

2009-01-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I left the poop post up way too long. So to atone for that, here are several updates, including some big news to follow in the next post...

Right before Christmas, Brian and I took Eli to the park and took some photos of him to give to our family. Half of these are Brian's photos. I can't even tell which ones are mine or his. Isn't he getting so good at taking photos? That's good because we can't afford a real photographer for our family and I shouldn't be absent from all our future photos. :)

Our goal was to get some frame-able shots. I think we got some cute ones.

This is my favorite shot of the day. We enlarged this so it could be framed.

Swing time. He really is a happy boy. He was overjoyed to play at the park with us. The only challenge is to get him to look up. He is pretty good at ignoring us.

Eli catching falling leaves.

This one cracked me up.

Photography Blog Update

2009-01-21T01:32:00.000-08:00

I have updated my photography blog with several new photo sessions, including the Menlove's family session. To check out my photography blog, click HERE.

WARNING: ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!

2008-12-26T17:01:00.000-08:00

I thought Eli's homemade snow was a big mess - boy was I wrong! If you missed the flour incident, check it out HERE. But that was a piece of cake compared to Eli's mischief today.

We went to get Eli up from his nap, and we found this...

He looks pretty innocent, and it may not seem that bad until you realize that brown stuff is NOT chocolate!

A horrible overwhelming stench filled the room. It made me want to be sick.

We put him to bed fully clothed, but after his nap we found him nakie sans his poopy diaper (it was thrown on the floor). However before it was thrown, there must have been some investigating going on. It was ALL over his crib.

So we tag-teamed the cleanup. I took Eli in for a very thorough bath. And Brian stripped all the bedding, clothing and anything that might have been touched for an immediate wash.

I think it will be a while before the smell is gone from the room - it is lingering. If anyone has tips on how to keep this happening again, I would surely appreciate it. I'm sure I'm not alone in this toddler mischief.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T22:10:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday with friends and family. This year has been very magical for us, with Eli starting to be more excited about gifts and toys.

I just wanted to share a few pictures from our Christmas, which Brian took - isn't he getting so good? This is our Christmas morning before Eli or I woke up. Brian woke super early and got everything ready for us. He is so sweet!

Eli has been fascinated by cars and trucks, pointing them out, signing and saying "caa", pretending to drive, and playing with toy cars. It is so fun to see him imagination and interests develop. So for our big santa gift, we decided to get him this fire truck Little Tikes pedal car.

He was so excited. He ran right to it and jumped in. He wanted to be pushed around the house and chase the cat. He kept signing "car" and "siren" (it makes little siren sounds).

We also got him several little toy cars and planes to push around. I love the Target dollar spot--these were so cheap and cute.

Eli is so spoiled. He got so many fun toys and cute clothes from family and friends. He loved to explore each one, and asked for "help" (he signs this by patting his chest) to open the new toy and play with it.

Once we were done opening presents, Eli kept wanting to climb in his new car and drive it around the house. He was so excited about it that he woke from his nap early. When I went in he was signing "car" and trying to climb out of his crib. I let him out and he ran right to his car. I think he was dreaming about it. Throughout the afternoon he would play in the car for a few minutes and then jump out and come give me and Brian kisses. I think he was trying to say "thank you - I LOVE it!" He did this about 30 times, which is not normal - he is not usually lovey or cuddly.

This is so interesting to us because Eli has never really shown this much excitement about any toy or thing. He is very intense and possessive about his car. When we put him to bed tonight, he didn't want to get out of it. We had him say goodnight to it and then took it out of his room. Boy, he didn't like that. He threw a fit for a good 20 minutes--a complete meltdown before bedtime. I feel sorry for him, as I realize he doesn't know if it is gone for good. He doesn't understand it will still be there for him in the morning.

Updated Blog

2008-12-08T10:20:00.000-08:00

I've been so busy with holiday photography sessions, that I haven't taken many personal pictures. But in the meantime, check out my photography blog. It's been updated with this awesome maternity shoot. www.amberkatrina.com/blog

NEW BLOG!

2008-12-01T09:06:00.001-08:00

My new photography blog is up and running, check it out: www.amberkatrina.com/blog I'd love to hear what you think, so leave a comment.

From now on, I will post my photography on the new blog, and keep this one for family info and pictures. So if you like to check out my photography, bookmark the page and check back often for updates.

Here is the latest session I did in Downtown Los Angeles, click HERE to see the rest of the images.

Also, the new logo and branding was done by Cori Devard. If you are interested in her graphic design services (cards, announcements, identity packages, etc.), email her at: coridevard@gmail.com

Kidspace Family Photography

2008-11-25T22:05:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to photograph Tracy, Will, Lily and Benjamin at Kidspace earlier this month. Tracy picked Kidspace in Pasadena for the session and it was a perfect place for the family to have some fun together. I loved the variety and opportunity for the family to interact.

Lily loved to make faces at the camera.

Benjamin having a blast with daddy.

There was this fun fountain that shot up periodically. The kids had fun running through it.

Some fun climbing areas for Benjamin - the little monkey!

I was glad we went during the fall, so we could take advantage of the bales of hay Kidspace makes into a hay maze. Lily and Benjamin throwing hay in the air.

Running through the maze.

I loved the light in the hay maze.

Kidspace had this beautiful field of flowers that matched Lily’s hat, and as a bonus it matched some of Tracy’s scrapbook paper - yay! This is my favorite series of the day, with my favorite photo first:

I thought it was funny that the hat fit Tracy so well. :)

Thanks for letting me share the day with you, I love your family and am sad you will be moving soon.

Altadena Family Portraits

2008-11-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to get caught up, here is another family shoot I did in Altadena a couple of weeks ago. This family was so beautiful together. Their faces shine with emotion and love for one another. It was so much fun to capture their personalities. Thanks for having me over to photograph your family.

A nice family portrait.

Too bad Ari was not interested. She wanted to go play.

I love that mom is the one swinging her around.

Fun times with mom.

Daddy making Jojo laugh. What a cutie!

All the girls and their matching flowers. Their backyard was filled with all kinds of beautiful flowers. I kept being drawn to these vibrant purple ones. I asked if they planned their colors to match these flowers, but they claimed it was a coincidence.

A sweet moment with Jojo and Mama.

They had this awesome hammock and great lighting - what's not to love? This sweet family moment is my favorite portrait of the whole family.

Jojo had eyes only for her big sis.

And Ari was so loving to her.

But she did want her play time.

While Ari played on the slide, Mama nursed little Jojo. I love her little hand holding on to mom's finger. Liliana was nice enough to let me post a nursing picture. I think it is beautiful.

Ari wanted to steal the show again. What a ham!

My favorite of the day.

Furious Photographers

2008-11-21T21:27:00.000-08:00

People often ask me where I get my inspiration and ideas. There are some awesome original and innovative photographers online. One of the blogs I check all the time for inspiration is Furious Photographers: www.furiousphotographers.com. I may not be as hip and cool as them, but I try. :P

One of the cool Furious Photographers, Lawrence, has started a blog with tools and tips for other photographers. It is a great resource - check it out: www.tofurious.com

They are also super nice. I have emailed them with questions and for help and they always amaze me by writing back with encouraging words. Totally blows my impression of what great photographers are like. In a recent TTD session I did in Downtown LA, Doug (with Furious Photographers) actually stopped by. I'm not sure it was what he expected, but he was kind enough to give me some great pointers and ideas. I will post the session soon so you can see the amazing shots I got with his help. Keep posted.

I think he is feeling better...

2008-11-21T12:44:00.000-08:00

Last night Eli woke up over and over and over again and wouldn't go back to sleep, so I finally brought him in our bed. I thought he must be feeling really really sick. So this morning, feeling exhausted myself, I prepared myself for another day with a sad boy.

Boy was I wrong. He must not have been able to sleep from all that pent up energy he's been harboring this last week. He has been bouncing off the walls (i.e. me) all morning. I keep putting him down and telling him to go play. I guess he finally listened to me. He was quiet and happy for too long, so I went to see what he was up to...

For those of you who don't know what happens when you take your eyes off a toddler for 2 seconds (minutes), THIS is what happens:

I came into the kitchen to find Eli throwing flour all over the kitchen. He was so proud of himself.

He wanted to show me what he learned. Who am I to say 'no' to a cute photo op. He already made the mess, might as well capture it on film for memories (or blackmail).

I love this sequence.

I guess he's making up for the fact that we don't have any snow to play in.

Hand angels:

Whew! That was hard work, but somebody had to do it. Right?

He looks so innocent, like "What? I didn't do it."

And so we had another unscheduled trip to the bath. Good thing he LOVES bath time, with all the splashing to be done. Why does bath time usually end in a mess for me to clean up too? Is it any wonder I just give up some days, and Brian comes home to the hurricane that is our home.

With our upcoming trip to Utah, I was so relieved that Eli was recovering in time. But it seems Brian might just be coming down with this dreaded virus. He is starting to get the painful bumps all over his hands, feet and tongue. Poor guy. It is not going to be a fun vacation if he gets it as bad as Eli. I sure hope I am immune - I really don't want this.

Poor Eli

2008-11-19T22:41:00.000-08:00

Since I am stuck at home with Eli, I thought I should post an update. Eli has had a hard day today. He has been sick all week, so I took him to the doctor and found out he has Hand Foot Mouth virus, which causes flu-like symptoms and these awful blisters all over. He even has them in his mouth, which is so painful for him. He has had a hard time eating anything. I have to make sure he gets enough fluids so he doesn't dehydrate and have to go to the hospital. Apparently he is really contagious, so we have to stay home this week (sure hope he didn't expose anyone before we found out).

Here are the bumps on knuckles of his hand.

And his big toe.

Poor guy. He really is trying to have a good attitude. He played outside for a little bit.

...until he fell in the puddle. That just put him over the edge.

He was so frustrated to be wet and dirty.

A warm bath cheered him up for a little bit.

Good night, my sweet Eli. I hope you sleep better tonight. We got some medicine at the doctor's today so hopefully that will help you sleep.

Disney Engagement Photography

2008-11-17T00:27:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I got together with Chris and Carina at Downtown Disney to shoot an engagement session for their upcoming wedding. As Carina and I tossed around some ideas for possible locations, she mentioned Downtown Disney since Chris had proposed to her in Disneyland! How special is that? So I just had to do their engagement session at Downtown Disney.

Chris and Carina are such a good match. They make each other laugh and they play together. Their sweet friendship will certainly help make their marriage great. I had so much fun hanging out with them for a few hours while we looked for good photo ops.

The color theme of their wedding is yellow, so we had fun finding some pretty yellows for their photos.

Goofing off.

We chased a few kids off from this nook in the Lego store, but I think it was worth it.

Great lighting - love the flare!

Somehow, this one is reminiscent of an old mob movie to me.

Off to shop at the World of Disney.

My favorite of the day! I love the lighting and their intimate moment. Chris and Carina were so nice to oblige my idea for this picture by actually sitting IN the fountain.

A big "C" for Chris and Carina. Couldn't pass that one up.

I told them to pick some magazines for this shot. Their choices crack me up!

Rockin the yellow some more.

There were little hidden treasures like this all over Downtown Disney.

A sweet farewell shot.

Chris and Carina are getting married this December in Alhambra with their reception in Pasadena. I can't wait to shoot their wedding - it is going to be fabulous!

Family Portrait Season

2008-11-13T23:45:00.000-08:00

Whew! I have had a slew of family portrait sessions in preparation for the holidays, and more to come! I have many to post, but here is one sweet family. I know Kami through the mom's meet up group. I was so excited when she asked me to take pictures of their family for the holidays. Their family is so sweet; they really look after one another and their son so affectionately. It was neat to watch their interactions. They suggested doing the photo shoot at Victory park in Pasadena, and I am so glad to discover this park. I absolutely loved the playground equipment with it's bright colors and frames.

Caralee's Headshots

2008-11-13T00:28:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, I did a portrait session for Caralee to get some singing/modeling/acting head shots. We had fun walking around Old Town Pasadena looking for interesting photo opportunities. Caralee has had many head shots taken, so she was up for whatever I suggested. Thanks for hanging out with me for the afternoon, Caralee. I hope it was worth it for all the crazy things I asked you to do.

Costume Cuties

2008-11-10T12:44:00.000-08:00

On Halloween, I did a photo shoot for the Stroller Strides family workout. All the kids dressed up and after the workout I took some photos of them in their costumes.

Our leader, Kristy was a cat with a fishbowl belly. I think this is the cutest maternity costume I've seen. So creative! And she did the whole workout in it!

Mia, examining the belly.

Here we are during the workout, playing a game.

And here are a few of my favorites of the kids.

Oh baby!

2008-11-08T23:51:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy, no time to blog! In the next week I have 7 photo shoots, then we leave for a Thanksgiving vacation, and when we get back I am shooting a wedding. Whew! Exciting, but I never thought I would look forward to the holidays as a time when things would calm down.

Amid all the other shoots I need to post, I did a mini photo shoot for 6 month old baby Stella. Here are two of my favorites:

As a side note: if anyone out there can help me set up a wordpress blog for my photography business, I would be forever grateful. I have the blog, the template, the domain, the hosting site... now how to get it up and running... hmmm. :)

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T15:12:00.000-07:00

Eli wants to wish you a Happy Halloween! ROAR!!!

This Halloween, Eli is the Cowardly Lion, I am Dorothy and Brian is the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. As of yet, we don't have any family pictures - we need someone to take photos of us! But I did make sure to take pictures of Eli in his adorable lion costume.

My mom made it for him a few weeks ago. She spent hours on the lion's mane/hood, but Eli wouldn't wear it. He screamed bloody murder when we tried to put it on him. So I have been trying to coax him into wearing it a little each day. Apparently, he has given up the fight just in time for Halloween.

Awwwwwe - he is done. "No more photo shoot, mom. I don't want to sit by these pumpkins!"

Thanks for making Eli's costume, mom. Everyone says he is the cutest lion they have ever seen. :)

Edited to add: pictures from Halloween night of the three of us in our costumes. Thanks for taking these Sara!

We just need a yellow brick road...

Trash the Dress

2008-10-19T10:47:00.000-07:00

Tara is the best! Even after our engagement/couples shoot a few weeks ago, she was up for a bridal portrait session with me. I wanted some experience with a unique photo session called "Trash the Dress".

If you don't know about Trash the Dress, it is a photography session done after the wedding, where the bride and groom (or just the bride) wear their wedding attire. Then we find some really cool, unique locations to take some fun and funky shots that are just not possible on the wedding day. Some ideas are a gritty urban downtown, a funky beach town, a romantic beach/pier, a fun carnival, a rustic field, etc.

Don't let the name scare you, you don't have to actually Trash your wedding Dress (unless you want to). If you don't have any cool images from your wedding day that you really love or you just like unique, edgy photography and want to wear your wedding dress again (who doesn't?), contact me to schedule your own Trash the Dress photo shoot: amber@amberkatrina.com

Some detail.

Getting ready.

We headed over to Wilderness Park in Arcadia for these portraits. The lighting was to die for and Tara is gorgeous - couldn't have been better. This is my favorite of the day.

Tara was up for anything I suggested, even laying down in her beautiful wedding dress. It got a little dirty but no harm done. I think it was worth it for these.

Great shoes; even better that they are a bit dirty. It just epitomizes our Trash the Dress Session.

Then we headed over to Tim's Auto Repair in Azusa for some really unique bridal/Trash the Dress shots. This old Thunderbird was awesome. It just completes Tara and her wedding dress.

Love the gaudy hang tag.

Then Tara decided to work on the car. Wouldn't you like her to be your mechanic?

Thanks, Tara, for an amazing Bridal/Trash the Dress shoot. You truly look like a model.

Vote Yes on Prop 8

2008-10-16T13:04:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Devards, wrote a very informative blog entry about Proposition 8. Please take a minute to read it HERE.

We couldn't agree more on how important it is to pass Proposition 8, to protect marriage between a man and a woman. I sure hope you also vote yes on Prop 8 in this upcoming election.

Mason's Portraits

2008-10-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

I was so excited when Dare contacted me about taking some portraits of Mason. She needed some headshots for a top secret mission. Maybe she'll have some news to announce soon... ;)

So we concentrated on taking some really nice headshots, showing his personality through his expressions. I also managed to sneak in a few candid shots for their family as well.

A little action shot:

So sad:

Okay, not a headshot, but I love how this one focuses attention on his tiny feet and the toddler stride.

Pretty please:

Woo hoo, I got a snack:

And I got to play my drums. This is fun!

I also like to jump on the bed and wrestle with mom.

Uh oh:

Funny:

I love Mason's puppy dog eyes. They just kill me - how do you say no to that?

A tight crop:

And lastly, daddy's hat:

NON-Engagement Session

2008-10-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

I have so many photos to share with you - I just need to get caught up on my editing and blogging, as well as set up my new photography blog. Ah well, one thing at a time.

A few weeks ago, Caralee and her friend Jason agreed to go to the Los Angeles County Fair to take some engagement-type photos for my portfolio. I wanted to experiment with some different time lapse techniques and fun photos at the fair. They were totally up for whatever I suggested and were pretty good at acting like a couple Thanks guys!

Jill Rich Headshots

2008-10-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

This week, I had the opportunity to do a mini portrait session with Jill Rich to shoot headshots for her upcoming website. She is a photographer from Arizona, who does great family portraits, check out her blog HERE. Isn't she beautiful?

We did the portrait session at the Claremont Colleges, and I was so excited by all the location possibilities. This awesome wall was near a dumpster - yes, just chillin by the dumpster.

I love this wall of graffiti. It is so fun and bright.

Mia's Birthday - Continued

2008-10-01T13:35:00.000-07:00

We were supposed to shoot a few photos of Mia and her family after her birthday party a couple of weeks ago. But Mia was a little bit exhausted after her big day - she slept for a 4 hour nap and we missed the light! So this last weekend, we went to the park for a quick photo session.

We started out at their home, where Mia showed me her new big girl bed. She had a lot of fun playing peek-a-boo with the pretty sheer curtains on her bed.

Then she wanted to jump on her parents' bed.

After we were done jumping on the bed, we headed to the park.

She enjoyed being swung in the air between her parents. I love this one.

She had been so adamant about putting on her shoes at home, but as soon as we got to the park, off they went.

Climbing up the ladder.

Down the slide. Don't you just love the static in her hair?

Mia got this adorable little red tricycle for her birthday. She kept a close eye on it the whole time at the park. She kept going back to check and make sure no one else played on it.

She decided to tackle the big jungle gym and scary ladder.

Kristy was a little worried. You can see the tension in her hands.

And down the scary steep slide. Her eyes are scrunched shut.

Having fun at the park.

And finally, a nice family portrait.

Eli's Girlfriend

2008-10-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we had Keri and her daughter Natalie over for a playdate. Natalie is just a few months older than Eli, so it is fun for them to play together. We call Natalie his girlfriend. Isn't she a cutie? She's got gorgeous bright blue eyes and curly blond hair. Eli will have to fight the other boys off for her.

I've noticed that Eli is getting more interested in other babies. He walks up to them and tries to hug them or kiss them. Sometimes he even tries to sit in their laps or lay his head on them. I think it is very sweet of him and I don't want to discourage him from playing with other kids, but sometimes he doesn't know his own strength or how to be gentle. It's a good thing we have some good friends that (hopefully) don't mind too much when the babies get so friendly.

At the playdate, Natalie gave Eli a really sweet hug and a kiss. Eli got so excited that he about tackled her trying to give her a hug back. I love her expression: "Help!"

Family Portrait Session

2008-09-28T00:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I did a portrait session with Crystal, David and their adorable son, James. James' middle name is Danger, which is so appropriate. He is full of energy and has no fear. He completely forgot I was there and had so much fun running and playing with his parents. I love capturing these kind of candid moments, recording the raw emotions.

Just so you know, I will be posting my photography on a dedicated business website soon. So you won't have to see long posts about my photography, unless you want to. ;)

We started off our photo session with a trip to the Monrovia library. Crystal brings James there all the time and he loves it.

I love this one of them all reading together.

However, James lost interest fast, in favor of running up and down the aisles, chasing daddy.

Then we headed to the park for some playtime together.

Dad and James had so much fun roughhousing together. Such a sweet moment.

Some detail to remember his little hands. I love that it shows his dirty fingers.

But at heart, James is a mama's boy. No matter how hard he played, he kept coming back to her.

A romantic moment. It can still happen after kids.

James feet are so cute and little compared with mom and dad's.

Now for some fun times on the playground equipment. James has NO fear.

He climbed right up to the top of this steep slide and didn't hesitate to slide right down.

I think it scared him just a little.

He LOVED to fly through the air with dad. He caught some serious air.

I love this one with mom.

James and Dad had fun playing in the sand.

Riding on dad's shoulders. This is his preferred way of being carried.

"What are you guys doing?"

Crystal also asked me to take a some portraits James in his cute dragon Halloween costume for her scrapbooking and Halloween cards this year. Yes, you heard right - Crystal has already made his costume. She is on top of things and she is a super talented seamstress and scrapbooker (she is a Close To My Heart consultant, so contact her if you are interested).

Mia's 2nd Birthday

2008-09-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot for Mia's 2nd birthday party. Her mom, Kristy, is our workout coach that runs Stroller Strides. Kristy thought it would be fun to have a photographer at the birthday party to capture the fun, candid moments, as well as not to have to worry about taking her own pictures. I think it was a great way to capture some joyful portraits of Mia on her 2nd birthday. If you are interested in having me photograph a birthday party or other event, please feel free to contact me: amberkatrina@gmail.com

Tara and Colton

2008-09-22T00:13:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on my blogging! I have several photo shoots to post and I will have some news about my business website and logo that I will be announcing soon. So keep a look out - good news to come... :p

Anyways, a little while ago I had the opportunity to do a couple's shoot with Tara and Colton in Old Town Pasadena. They are so sweet and loving to one another, which I think shows through in their photos. I love that they have fun together and make each other laugh. Their interactions come so naturally, even with me taking a million photos.

Impromptu Photo Shoot

2008-09-07T23:05:00.000-07:00

While we were on vacation with the Cunninghams and the Swarts, we had a little impromptu photo shoot. We traveled about thirty minutes to church, and on the way I saw these beautiful fields of yellow flowers. So after church, they were up for a photo shoot for some engagement type shots for my portfolio.

After the couples' shoot, I took a few pictures of Eli in the field. He's my little cutie pie.

Johnathan was so nice to offer to take a few of me and Brian. I realized we haven't taken many pictures of us together since Eli was born.

Shaver Lake

2008-09-07T22:53:00.000-07:00

Our friends, the Cunninghams, invited us to their family's lake house over the holiday weekend along with the Swarts. Their cabin is at Shaver Lake, which is near Fresno. It is a beautiful mountain cabin and pretty big too. We had a fun weekend going to the lake and taking the wave runners out. Even though it took me a little while to get used to them, I'm so glad I did. It was fun to splash around and jump the wakes. Eli had fun on the beach, playing on the sand. He didn't really want to be near the water, which was fine for me so I didn't have to worry about him.

Starting School

2008-09-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

My nephew, Liam, started Kindergarten last week. I went with Kathy, my sister-in-law, to pick him up from his first day of school. He was so excited; he had so much enthusiasm, showing us his classroom - where he sat, the activities and his teacher. Here are a few photos:

It's Fun to be One!

2008-09-04T13:43:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Eli's first birthday with a small party. It was so hot that we decided to have a swim party. They are all so little, it was more of a wading pool/splashing party, but at least it helped keep everyone cool. Eli had a blast! He dived right into the wading pools with no fear, and kept himself busy running all around the sprinkler toys. I was glad he didn't get overwhelmed or cranky, which I've heard happens a lot with one year old parties.

A couple of days after his birthday, we had a small celebration with some Stroller Strides friends. This time Eli got to have two big cookies. He's so spoiled.

Eli's First Haircut

2008-09-02T17:30:00.000-07:00

We took Eli in for his first haircut a couple of weeks ago, right before his first birthday. (I am so far behind on my blogging - there is so much to go!) His hair was getting really shaggy on the sides and would hang down into his eyes in the front. So we took him to a local kids haircut salon for his first haircut. I decided to take him and not do it myself for a couple of reasons: 1) so he didn't end up with an awful cut right before his party, 2) so I could see how they cut it for next time, and 3) so I could take some photos of his first haircut. The guy was really quick and patient with Eli. Eli was actually pretty good, he just wanted to look around and see what the guy was doing to his hair. I think it turned out nice. He definitely looks older.

When they were done with the haircut, Eli got a balloon. He was having so much fun with it, we decided to let him run around the park and get some energy out before dinner.

After his balloon popped, Eli gathered some sticks. No surprise - he gathers sticks every day after Stroller Strides. He's a funny boy.

Last Edition: The Riley Farm

2008-08-27T00:15:00.000-07:00

This is the last installment of Dan and Missy's wedding. The weekend after their wedding, we went up to the Riley farm in Oak Glen for their So Cal Reception. It is amazing up there! I found so many awesome locations for photos. But due to problems with the dress as they were getting ready, we ended up with very little time for pictures. We had 10 minutes before the reception to try to sneak in some pictures. Of course Dan and Missy were a beautiful couple. Thanks again, Dan and Missy, for letting me take so many photos of you guys. You are awesome! Here are a few of the photos I got:

Part 2: The Reception

2008-08-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the second installment of Dan and Missy's wedding. After the sealing ceremony in Salt Lake, we drove to Sandy for their reception that night. We had forgotten the address, but we knew the street and the location name, so we figured we'd find it. After driving on the road for 10+ minutes, we started joking about not finding it. Then we saw a big cemetery and sarcastically said, "I bet it's at the cemetery!" Well, it was! Not actually in the cemetery, but beside it. They had converted a nursery into a reception location. Very clever and very beautiful, but unexpected nonetheless. Brian wanted to give Dan a hard time about it. I said "no" until Brian reminded me about our wedding. At our wedding reception, we had a butterfly release to symbolize our new life together, but when we opened the little cases, one of the butterflies was dead. Dan showed Brian the dead one and said, "So, what does this symbolize?" So anyways, Brian gave Dan a hard time about his reception location being at the cemetery.

Best Buds

2008-08-17T23:39:00.000-07:00

Eli and Donovan are so cute together. Cori and I had fun with a mini photo shoot a few weeks ago. We got some pictures of Donovan and then tried to get some of them together, but the boys wouldn't cooperate. Either Eli or Donovan cried and tried to push away and sometimes they both did!

Here are some photos of cutie pie Donovan:

I love this series in black and white. This would make a nice arrangement, compiled in a frame together.

Here is one of Eli playing with his huge stuffed elephant. I love his bright blue eyes.

And one sweet photo of the boys together. The rest involve pushing, crying and trying to get away (mostly on Eli's part - I thought he would be the easy one!).

Birthday Boy

2008-08-15T22:47:00.000-07:00

Eli is my birthday boy. He is 1 year old today! And... he couldn't care less. Eli is completely oblivious to our celebrations of his birthday. But that's okay because he's happy and excited every day - he doesn't need a special day to celebrate.

It is amazing to think about what we were doing one year ago today. I can't believe this year has gone by so fast. But at the same time, I can't imagine life without Eli. It feels like our life was incomplete without him. The one thought that's reoccured throughout this year has been, "No one told me that having children would be so __________." (fill in: wonderful, challenging, awe-inspiring, life changing, rewarding... and loving). Ever since Eli was born, I keep thinking that everyone always says how much work it would be to have a baby, but no one says that it's worth it and you don't mind because you love them so much. My heart just grows each day, as I get to know Eli more and more. I can imagine that just grows exponentially with more children.

In honor of his birthday, we took some pictures of Eli in daddy's clothes. It is so cute to see how little he is compared to daddy. I want to do similar pictures at his future birthdays to show his growth.

Forever and Ever, Amen

2008-08-14T18:16:00.000-07:00

Our main reason for our trip up to Utah last weekend was for Dan and Missy's wedding. Dan was a good friend of Brian's growing up, so we really wanted to be there for his wedding. We were invited to attend their sealing in the Salt Lake Temple, which was a beautiful and simple ceremony.

Following the ceremony, they took pictures on the temple grounds. I was not their official photographer, but they were kind enough to allow me to tag along and take some photos. I tried to get some candids to catch the simple moments and reflect their relationship. Their love and affection for one another is very honest and pure, and it was neat to see their interactions and try to record that for them.

That night they had a beautiful reception, which I will put in a separate post since I'm still editing those. Since this is the first wedding I've shot, I would love your feedback. If you have any comments or suggestions, please let me know in an email or the comments below.

Almost a year...

2008-08-11T15:12:00.000-07:00

Eli is almost a year old. He will turn one on Friday. I can't believe my little baby isn't a baby anymore. He is definitely turning into a toddler, with a will and personality all his own. "Mischief" should be his middle name. He seems to be on the lookout for trouble, whether it's taking garbage out of the trash can or putting things in (that don't go there). A week ago, he put my keys in the basket of shoes. I should have learned my lesson because the very next day, I spent 45 minutes searching for my keys again, and found them... in the diaper pail. Ewwweee! Stinky! Then a few days ago, he dumped my cell phone in the toilet, and when he brought it back to me it was dripping wet and wouldn't work. Life with a toddler sure is interesting. ;p

For this photo shoot, I wanted to get Eli to hold a large "1" for his birthday. That lasted about 2 seconds before he threw it and ran away.

He was much more interested in Daddy's phone. He loves to imitate us. If we are doing something like talking on the phone, he wants to do it. I'll hold the phone up to his ear for him to "talk" to daddy, and he says "Hey-ooooo". He is starting to imitate our words a lot and really likes to say his own name: "Eeee-yaiiiiii".

Whenever, Eli holds the phone up to talk, he actually puts it behind his head. It is hilarious.

Eli is very curious, and has been fascinated by the mirror recently. He will look into it, "talk" to the other baby, and then try to give it "kisses" (really just an open mouth slobber).

Growing Up, So Sad...

2008-08-11T08:35:00.000-07:00

I am sad. My baby is weaning himself. I just had a conversation with Brian about a week ago, and said that I wasn't ready to wean just yet - maybe in a couple of months. But Eli has other ideas. He is just too busy and doesn't have time for nursing. When I try to nurse, he just wiggles right out of my arms. And the last couple of times I've tried to nurse him, he's bitten me! Not a teething kind of bite, but an "I don't want to do this" kind of bite. So sad. And then last night, I tried to nurse him before we put him down to sleep, and he started blowing raspberries on my breast. It was actually kind of funny. Needless to say, I'm sure my milk has dried up. So it looks like Eli has made the decision for me to wean. It actually isn't as painful and sad as I'd thought. It's just one more reminder that he's not my baby anymore.

Here are a couple of photos of Eli's first meal wielding his own spoon. As you can see, it was quite messy, but I think he got the concept and even got a fair amount in his mouth.

He's giving me the evil eye, saying, "Why are you taking pictures of me? Stop it."

"Oh, forget it. This spoon takes way too long. I think I'll drink it instead."

These are Eli's cute little feet under the highchair. When he eats, he flexes and curls his little toes. I think it's adorable how he crosses his feet like he's lounging.

Heber City, Utah

2008-08-10T20:41:00.000-07:00

On the last day of our vacation in Utah, we took a drive around Heber and Midway with Chrisann and Grandma Baker. We found a million interesting things to photograph. Here are a few of the cool things we found, but I could have driven around all day - it is such a unique town with so much charm and character. It's just not the same in SoCal.

We found this cool horse near the road. He was so friendly; he wanted to eat my camera! I love horses - they are so gentle and sweet.

I realized once I posted these that they look like one of Eli's matching games - put the horse in the right order... Too funny! I didn't do it on purpose.

Very Merry Unbirthday

2008-08-06T22:56:00.000-07:00

While we were in Utah, we celebrated Eli's first birthday with the Baker side. Eli got to open a few presents and even eat a little cupcake. He is so spoiled!

Doggies

2008-08-04T23:15:00.000-07:00

Eli loves animals. Whenever he sees a cat or a dog, he starts squealing and running after them. This weekend, we stayed at Chrisann and Greg's house in Heber, and they have 3 big dogs. Eli loved it! He would walk over to the sliding glass doors, pull back the curtain and just watch the dogs. By the end of the weekend, he would say, "Daaaa" for dogs. I think that's pretty good approximation of the word.

Here's some photos we took of their doggies. They are very sweet (and spoiled too). :)

Eli's First Flight

2008-08-04T19:34:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went to Utah for Dan and Missy's wedding. It was the first time we had flown with Eli, so I had to document his first flight. He was a trooper on the plane. I'm sure he didn't want to be squished in those tiny seats with us, but he played quietly on our laps for the majority of the flight, even if he was a wiggle worm.

Under the Sea

2008-08-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

I keep getting grief from family wanting to see pictures of Eli, so here are a couple. Brian and I were playing around with an under water camera, trying to get some pictures of Eli swimming. Eli didn't mind going under water; he knows to hold his breath and he even opens his eyes sometimes.

Stay tuned for some pictures of a wedding we went to this weekend and Eli's upcoming first birthday.

And the winner is...

2008-08-04T10:56:00.000-07:00

Paper Moon Photography

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments; you really helped me make the decision. I have chosen Paper Moon Photography as the name for my business. I feel it conveys my style of photography. It is sophisticated, nostalgic and romantic. Keep an eye out for my new website, soon to come. In the meantime, please email me at PaperMoonPhotography@gmail.com to schedule a photo session.

Breath of Heaven

2008-07-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

I love newborns. They are so small and fragile. I think they give us a glimpse of heaven in their eyes, so new and pure. You can see their spirit trying to figure this world out.

I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with Leah and Tyler's new baby: Zoe. She was just 10 days old at the time of the session. You can tell that she is already starting to move past that curled up, sleepy newborn stage. Having been through it, now I realize how fleeting those moments are. So, at the shoot, I tried to capture her innocence and newness.

I really wanted to get some sweet pictures of Zoe sleeping. This only lasted a little bit, since she was too interested in what was going on. She really is a very alert and curious baby.

I love this photo because daddy is changing Zoe, with a little help from mama.

Zoe started getting a little mad with all the moving around. But daddy had the magic touch.

I love this one because daddy is singing in Zoe's ear. Every time she would start to fuss, he would sing to her and she would instantly quiet down and listen intently.

This is definitely a daddy hold:

I really like this set with mom holding her little girl:

Zoe was so sweet in this little basket. She was quite content to sit outside and look around at everything.

Their little doggy was feeling left out. He really wanted to be in the pictures, so I obliged:

And for everyone that asked about this photo in reverse--with her looking 'ahead'--here is that version. I actually did this one first, but ended up liking the one I posted below. I think we would need to see her face in the mirror for this one to be better.

Earthquake!

2008-07-29T12:03:00.000-07:00

We just had an earthquake a few minutes ago - crazy! I was sitting here, updating my blog and Eli was taking his nap, when the house started rocking and rolling. I rushed in to make sure Eli was okay, which woke him up (not the earthquake, go figure). It seemed to last a good 30 seconds. Before it even finished shaking, Brian was calling us to make sure we were alright - he felt it all the way in West LA! So it was a pretty big one. Initial estimates say it was a 5.8, but I don't know anything else because our phone is now out and so is our satellite TV (but that might be because Eli was playing with the remote - don't know what he did). :)

What's in a name?

2008-07-24T14:06:00.000-07:00

What should I call my photography business? There is so much meaning in a name. It's connotations, sounds, and syllables all help to form a mental picture in our heads. I studied linguistics when I was in college, so I think I am way over analyzing this decision...

The name should be memorable and sound pleasing to the ear. I would also like the name to be fresh and fun, but also romantic and nostalgic.

I need to pick a name for my photography business, so I'd like your help. What would make you pick up the phone for a wedding? baby? family? Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions in the comments below, and please vote in the poll to your right -->

Reflections

2008-07-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

I just did a photo shoot with Leah and her new baby girl, Zoe. Look at my post a few weeks ago to see Leah's maternity shoot. She had her baby about a week ago, and I went over as soon as they would let me to get some sweet newborn photos of Zoe. I'm not done processing the rest of the photos from the session, but here is a sneak peak. It's a special one I envisioned during her maternity shoot. At the time, I didn't know if it would work, but I'm really pleased with the results.

First "Real" Photo Shoot

2008-07-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot for my friend from Stroller Strides. Her baby, Stella, is 3 months old, and she is simply adorable. I loved her bright blue eyes and all her different expressions.

This was my first real photo shoot. I was so excited, but also nervous. I think it went well and we were able to capture some sweet moments with their little family.

Invitations

2008-07-18T08:27:00.000-07:00

Eli is turning one! In less than a month! I can't believe my little baby is growing up. It doesn't feel like he should be a toddler yet.

Despite my disbelief, I am really excited about it. I have been planning his party for months. Luckily, Brian has kept me pretty reigned in, so I don't go too overboard. His birthday is in August, so I decided to do a 'Under the Sea' theme. I am going to have wading pools and sprinkler toys for the little ones. So, to go along with the theme, I made water bottle invitations. I wrote the party info on plastic and rolled it up inside water bottles filled with blue water and glitter. It was way cute and easy too.

Eli's party is on August 16, from 2-4pm if you'd like to join us. Just email or give me a call for the info.... :)

Water Park

2008-07-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we went to the Santa Fe Dam Water Park. It's just a little play area, with a wading pool, play equipment and a few little slides. It's the perfect size for Eli to explore.

This is Eli's little friend, Ronato, from Stroller Strides. Eli had a blast pushing him around in his little car.

This is Kristy, who runs Stroller Strides, and her little girl, Mia. Isn't she adorable?

And a random picture of Eli. Doesn't he look like he is swimming? Not sure how that happened...

Photography Announcement

2008-07-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that I will be starting my own photography business (after so much prodding from all of you)! I love capturing those fun, intimate, happy and sometimes goofy moments we all have.

I look forward to photographing your family as you truly are. No unnatural posing, bright lights, or uncomfortable clothes. Just you. I want to capture the real you, doing something you love, whether that's gardening in your backyard, having a picnic in the park, playing carnival games at the fair, or relaxing with your new baby in the bedroom--a slice of your life. My portrait sessions--including wedding, engagement, maternity, newborn and birthday sessions--will capture a moment or event in the life of your family.

If you are interested in scheduling a photography session, please contact me at PaperMoonPhotography@gmail.com for pricing and availability.

4th of July

2008-07-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

I am so late, but happy 4th of July anyways. We went and saw fireworks in Old Town Monrovia with Brian and Amelia Smith. I tried my hand at night photography, which is very different. I think I did alright with the fireworks. But I forgot to change the setting when I turned to get a shot of Eli running away, so he looks like a ghost. Interesting effect.

Eli didn't seem to care much about watching fireworks. He spent most of the night running away from daddy. He's getting really fast now. It's hard to catch him.

Leah's Belly Bump

2008-07-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know, I will be starting a photography business. In preparation for that, Leah and Tyler kindly allowed me to photograph Leah's pregnancy so I could get experience taking maternity shots. She is one of the most beautiful pregnant women - it was impossible to take a bad photo of her. I can't wait for little Zoe to come, so we can take some photos of her too!

ETA: I just got photoshop - YAY! I am so excited to play around with all my new amazing editing tools. There is definitely a learning curve to it though. So in the meantime, please excuse my slight excessive use of photoshop effects while I practice. Here are the photos revised:

Bath Time

2008-06-29T23:01:00.000-07:00

Eli loves bath time! He likes to splash in the water and play with his duckie. I got some bubble bath recently, and Eli had a blast with all the bubbles. It is a little difficult keeping Eli safe because he always wants to stand in the bathtub. We have a non-skid mat on the bottom to help, but it would be better if he would sit. Any suggestions?

Arboretum

2008-06-28T23:08:00.000-07:00

For a belated Mother's Day present, Brian took some photos of Eli and me at the Arboretum.

Eli uses sign language to tell us when he wants food. He does the sign for 'food' by pointing to his mouth.

And here are some random photos I took at the Arboretum, trying to practice my photography.

Go Dodgers!

2008-06-21T17:26:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, we went to the Dodger game with the Brian and Amelia Smith. Of course we picked the hottest day of the year for a noon game! Ugh! When we got there, some nice people moved over so we could sit in the shade. It seems there are some perks to having a baby with you. We brought a TON of water bottles, a spray bottle and a fan to help keep us cool. I was pretty worried about Eli, but he seemed to handle the heat alright.

Eli started getting really tired towards the end. He rested on daddy's shoulder.

While Eli was resting, I had fun with some creative shots of the game. Then I 'posterized' them with my editing program. What do you think? Neat effect or just cheesy?

(This Dodger--Jeff Kent--is in our ward at church. It was fun to see him play.)

Well, they didn't win and it was a shame. They were tied until we left after the 9th inning. Then the Dodger's got creamed in the 11th inning: 2-7 I believe.

Playing at the Park

2008-06-20T17:10:00.000-07:00

Each morning, Eli and I go to the park for our exercise class--Stroller Strides. I look forward to it every day! In the class we walk or jog to different areas of the park, and then we park the strollers and do some cardio or strength training. It changes every day, and I love it! It gives me so much energy during the day, and I can tell I'm getting stronger (hopefully, losing weight too). The other reason I look forward to this class, is the great group of moms that go. They are all so nice, I've made several good friends to hang out with. Sometimes after the class, we'll sit at the park and let the kids play.

On this day, Eli decided to practice his head-stands, which he has been doing lately. I've been wanting to catch his cuteness on film, but before this he wouldn't cooperate. You can't exactly bribe or coerce a baby to do head-stands. :p

Our instructor, Kristy, brought a hand held bubble-maker. Eli loves bubbles! We should get something like this to entertain him.

Sneak

2008-06-19T16:51:00.000-07:00

Eli is a little sneak. He knows what he shouldn't get into, and when I'm not looking, he makes a beeline for it. Luckily, the things he shouldn't do aren't dangerous (hopefully we've removed most of those dangers). It just means a mess or more work for me. Like our food cupboard. He loves to open it and pull out all the food on the bottom shelf. I've tried to stock it with things he can play with, so I don't worry.

I used my special night vision film* to capture Eli's nighttime shenanigans:

* This 'night vision' setting is really just my way of making grainy, poorly lit photos a little more interesting.

Playing at Home

2008-06-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Eli is now 10 months old. It still feels like he should be a little peanut so small in my arms. But he doesn't want to be... He is turning into a toddler before my very eyes. He toddles around, picking up cheerios, waving 'hi' or 'bye bye' to everyone. It is kind of sad, but at the same time it brings to much joy to my heart to see his personality emerge. I can imagine it will only get better and better as he grows and becomes a wonderful little person with his own ideas and mannerisms.

Right now, he loves to play and explore. He likes to figure out how things work. It's almost like I can see his little brain gears moving and turning, trying to take it all in and figure things out. The past few days, he has been fascinated by this little train. He pushes the button on the top and the balls inside come out and spin into the hole. At first he would get frustrated, as they would disappear before he could grab them. But he has gotten fast at grabbing them as they come out. Just recently, he has realized he can drop a ball in the hole and it will reappear at the top. Now, I just have to keep bigger balls out of sight, or they get stuck. :p

Water baby

2008-06-08T22:37:00.000-07:00

Eli loves the water, especially if he can splash in it. So I have been taking him swimming at his grammy's pool several times a week. I let him play in the sprinklers and splash in the pool, and then I take him in with me to swim. I want him to get used to floating and be able to hold his breath under water, so we've been practicing. We only do about 5 or 10 minutes at a time so he doesn't get too cold or frustrated, but that doesn't stop my mom from teasing me that we are drowning her grandson.

Eli is walking!

2008-06-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is a short video of Eli walking. He has now decided that crawling is for babies, and of course he thinks he is a big boy now, so he walks whenever possible. It is so cute to see his wobbly little walk, Brian says it looks like the marshmallow man.

Boo boo

2008-06-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

Today, Eli got his first big boo boo. He likes to stand at the screen door and look out, especially if we are outside. He was leaning against the screen when my friend tried to open it, and he did a big face plant onto our porch. I saw it happen slow motion, but couldn't stop his fall. I felt terrible, but after he got cleaned up and had a cracker Eli was fine. Now he's got a real boo boo on his nose and forehead to go with his birthmark.

First Tooth

2008-06-01T22:11:00.000-07:00

Eli is finally getting his first tooth. It is just barely showing through. He's been a pretty good sport about it, only a little lost sleep.

ETA: I didn't realize how long it takes for the tooth to actually come in. It's been almost a month now. Here is a better photo of the new tooth:

Trouble

2008-05-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

Eli is into everything! He doesn't want his own toys, he wants to play with things he is not supposed to have, like keys, cell phones, remotes, cords...

This day, he got behind our armoire to play with the cords and then got stuck!

Havasu Baby

2008-05-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

Over the Memorial Day weekend, we went to Lake Havasu with our friends, the Cunninghams and the Hanks. With both couples prego and Eli with us, we were definitely the party boat on the lake.

Eli was not a fan of the huge life jacket he had to wear on the boat. He was like a little turtle, not able to move, turn or break his fall. So, we had to hold him the whole time, which he did not appreciate.

But... he made up for it back at the house by WALKING... all over the place. He just took off. It was like he decided all at once that he'd rather walk. He pushes up to standing wherever he's at and then toddles several steps. We counted up to 30 steps at a time. I can't believe he is only 9 months old and truly walking. We'll have to take a video and post soon. But in the meantime, here are some river photos.

Little Donovan

2008-05-23T23:04:00.000-07:00

Our good friends, the Devards, just had their little baby boy: Donovan. He is such a cutie! And he already has such a personality, with all his different expressions. I had fun taking photos of their family.

And, because I can't publish a post without a photo of Eli, here's one I happened to get just testing the lighting:

Families are Forever

2008-05-17T23:34:00.000-07:00

This Saturday, my grandfather and Grace McKendrick were sealed in the Los Angeles Temple. It is weird to attend your own grandfather's wedding. But they are so sweet together; you can tell they are very happy.

It was so special to have all our family together in the temple. After the sealing, as our family gathered in the Celestial room there was such a spirit of love and togetherness - that must be what heaven will be like.

Here are some pics of the adorable Henderson girls: Hallie and Claire:

Eli and his grammy:

Eli practicing his photography skills.

Here is a photo of our family. I couldn't resist leaving this one in color because it shows off my cute new haircut and color.

mmm mmm good

2008-05-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

Eli loves food! Especially if I let him eat it himself. He loves squishing the food around in his hands. This night I got tired of trying to dodge his grabbing hands with the spoon, so I put his sweet potato puree on his tray and let him have his way with it. Needless to say, it was bath time after dinner.

Beach Day

2008-05-03T21:50:00.000-07:00

We took Eli to the beach for the first time this weekend. Eli wasn't so sure he liked the scary, loud water, but he had fun playing in the sand.

First Steps!

2008-05-01T21:46:00.000-07:00

I have to brag for a moment - Eli took his first steps today!!! He has been cruising really well and has tried to take a step on his own the past few days. But today, all of a sudden he stood on his own and then took a tentative step, then got his balance and took a couple more before he toppled over. I can't believe he is only 8 months old!! He sure is my mover. It is so exciting to see him learn new things. He is so proud of himself.

Summer Fun, Something's Begun...

2008-04-30T22:38:00.000-07:00

It was so hot today that I filled up one of our laundry baskets and made a little 'pool' for Eli to play in. He really liked playing with the hose. He was fascinated by the shapes and forms of the water as it came out of the hose.

He found the toilet paper...

2008-04-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

Uh oh - Eli found the toilet paper. He had a ball dragging it around the house and ripping it to shreds. Whenever I come after him, he squeals, hides his face and tries to crawl away. I fear he will be one of those kids running away from their parents.

No!

2008-04-27T21:05:00.000-07:00

Eli is so cute! About a month ago, he learned how to shake his head "no." One night at dinner when we asked if he was done, he kept shaking his head "no".

Spring has Sprung

2008-04-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

I needed to do some pictures for Mother's Day, and I never took any photos of Eli in his Easter outfit, so here are a few that work for both:

A little cat food never hurt anyone, right?

2008-04-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

Many of the moms I know are so good. They sterilize their kid's toys when they fall on the ground or when another kid slobbers on them. I just can't seem to do that - I think it's an accomplishment when (if) I remember to wipe them off.

So when I heard a clatter in the kitchen and found Eli dumping the cat food all over, was I a responsible mom and picked him up and cleaned the mess? No, I got the camera because it was so darn funny. These will be good blackmail pictures when he's older (along with the naked bum ones).

Ewwwwwwe!

2008-04-19T23:17:00.000-07:00

Brian serves in the stake Young Men's presidency, so we got to help organize youth conference this year. I was the photographer for the weekend. But it was Brian who got this awesome shot:

One of the challenges was to eat increasingly gross things Fear Factor style, the climax of which were these live crickets. I would never do that. Ewwwwwe!